A Complete Guide to "FastDL"

Bounty_Bam-legacy · December 9, 2009, 11:24pm

I know there are many guides on how to set up a working “FastDL”, but non of them (at least not to what I’ve seen), don’t tell you exactly how to do it (including cache ect). I was wondering if someone could kindly write a detailed step by step guide as of how to achieve this.
I’ve read that you need to include your cache/dua folder, I’ve read you need to include your lua files, I’ve read you must not include any lua files… many confusing statements.

When I attemped this for my RP server (many custom models) I would get so many issues, like:

Clients downloaded everything each time they joined.
The downloaded files never worked anyway (showing many large red ERRORs).

The guide should include:

setting your "sv_downloadurl “http://IP/IP-PORT/***”.
managing resource.AddFile( “” ) commands.

I think if someone wrote a useful guide on this, it would help many server hosts, not just me.

Thanks =]

slayer3032-legacy · December 10, 2009, 5:06am

I pasted an old article on the wiki I wrote for some other forum, try reading it.

If you have some other questions I guess I would be happy to answer them.

[editline]09:08PM[/editline]

resource.AddFile() is for Maps, Materials, Models, Sounds, Fonts and any other client file.

AddCSLuaFile() is used to add clientside lua files to the table of lua files that the client will need, unless you are making your own scripts you don’t need to worry about this.

KFrohman-legacy · December 10, 2009, 11:10am

This guide assumes you know about where things go on a server and how to use basic FTP functionality.

Fast Download URLS and setup.

First off, You need a half decent FTP client. Personally, I use Filezilla. You can get it at http://filezilla-project.org/. This guide assumes you have a Fast dl/webserver to use with FTP access.

Config Setup
Alright first off, we need to tell Gmod where to go and fetch these files. To do this, go to your servers FTP directory and go find the addons folder. It can vary how many folders you have to go through. If you have a rented server from a host, you’ll probably have something like
IP:PORT/Orangebox/Garrysmod/addons-Materials-Models etc. Some hosts skip the parts in red cause they’re lazy, but if running a dedi, then you should already know the GMod path.
Anyway, navigate to your cfg folder and open/right-click > View/Edit in filezilla. At the bottom of the file add this line

sv_downloadurl “http://www.myurl.co.uk/garrysmod/”
Change the bolded part to the URL which is something like http://www.URL-HERE.co.uk/garrysmod/.
Save and upload it, and with any luck it should now have defined the url to use for sending clients to download stuff.

Note the garrysmod part on the end. When connecting via FTP to the webserver you will usually end up at the root. From there on, make a garrysmod folder (right click > new/create directory) - That is where everything that needs to be uploaded will be heading into, almost like a mirror of the game server.

LUA Files
In order for people to download the lua files properly, they need to be taken from the game server’s cache, downloaded, and reuploaded to the fast download. For example, I have my URL set as http://kazuos-server.ukgame.co.uk/. Within that on the FTP [which is how you upload the files] I have a folder called garrysmod, and within that, a cache folder, so the end url looks like http://kazuos-server.ukgame.co.uk/garrysmod/cache.

You have to redownload and reupload it every time you make a clientside lua modification to the server, usually every time you update an addon or gamemode.
In step form.

Create a folder in your client gmod directory called “cache fast dl”

Go to your game servers’ FTP, and go into the garrysmod/cache folder. Copy the dua folder into the cache fast dl folder you created in the last step and download it to there.

Once that is done, connect to your fast dl FTP. Make sure you have it set up so at the root, you can see a folder called garrysmod and within that, a cache folder. Upload the recently created dua folder to to WITHIN the cache folder.

Hey presto, providing you’ve set up the url location in one of the configs correctly, people can now download lua files faster.

Materials/Models/Sounds within Addons/Game modes
So, say for example you want people to download new wiremod models so they don’t btch about errors and sht. Instead of manually adding each and every file with resource.AddFile, there’s some coding you can use.

local ClientResources = 0;
local function ProcessFolder ( Location )
for k, v in pairs(file.Find(Location … ‘*’)) do
if file.IsDir(Location … v) then
ProcessFolder(Location … v … ‘/’)
else
local OurLocation = string.gsub(Location … v, ‘…/addons/wire/’, ‘’)

if !string.find(Location, ‘.db’) then
ClientResources = ClientResources + 1;
resource.AddFile(OurLocation);
end
end
end
end

if !SinglePlayer() then
ProcessFolder(’…/addons/wire/models/’);
ProcessFolder(’…/addons/wire/materials/’);
ProcessFolder(’…/addons/wire/sound/’);
end

That’s just an example. For gamemodes, it’s slightly different. For example, in the Resident Evil Garrysmod gamemode, in resources.lua,
local ClientResources = 0;
local function ProcessFolder ( Location )
for k, v in pairs(file.Find(Location … ‘*’)) do
if !string.find(Location, “.svn”) then
if file.IsDir(Location … v) then
ProcessFolder(Location … v … ‘/’)
else
local OurLocation = string.gsub(Location … v, ‘…/gamemodes/’ … GM.Path … ‘/content/’, ‘’)
			if !string.find(Location, '.db') then			
				ClientResources = ClientResources + 1;
				resource.AddFile(OurLocation);
			end
		end
	end
end
end

GM.Path = “RE”;
if !SinglePlayer() then
ProcessFolder(’…/gamemodes/’ … GM.Path … ‘/content/models/’);
ProcessFolder(’…/gamemodes/’ … GM.Path … ‘/content/materials/’);
ProcessFolder(’…/gamemodes/’ … GM.Path … ‘/content/sound/’);
end
I’ve bolded parts that can/need to be changed before they will work. You can choose to just dump them in the autorun folder with different names, or you can put them in the addon/gamemode that has content being downloaded respectively, named resources.lua [when it comes to addons, just put it in AddonName/lua/autorun]

So far, that’s got them queued for download, but it’s no good if the files themselves aren’t on the fast dl!

Because of the way GMOD/Source handles the download URL, it expects all the content and stuff to be rooted in the garrysmod folder (or so I’ve experienced) e.g. garrysmod/materials, garrysmod/models etc. NOT WITHIN AN ADDONS FOLDER ON THE URL. The only time you should stick something in addons on the webserver is when a map refuses to download via the first method. Basically, all you need to do is go to each addon that has content queued on the gameserver [or for streamlining, if the server is using the same stuff as your client, then skip this next part] and copy/download the materials/models/sounds from within them to your client.
From there, Upload those folders to the fast download within the garrysmod folder, so you got garrysmod/materials, garrysmod/models etc.
If the content you’re uploading sits on the gameserver in the materials and models folder rooted on garrysmod, then you just need to mirror them onto the fast download.
With any luck, You’re now all set to work.

NOTE. Do not try and add too many addons to the queue with the LUA coding, otherwise the table gets overloaded, and your server will refuse to start.

I believe this guide is done. I might add to it and supply images, but it’s done for now.

Made 100% by me, myself and I.

I made this about 2-3 months ago and posted it around on xuras.net and pulsar effect. I was gonna post it here at some point but I didn’t want to get slandered. This guide should contain everything needed to know, however if something is missing do tell me.

EDIT: Oh snap I appear to have missed an entire section on maps.

Basically, Look up how to bzip maps on google. Once they’re all bzipped, upload them to the webserver under garrysmod/maps - If that doesnt work try putting it in addons if the map was orignally in an addon format.

Bounty_Bam-legacy · December 10, 2009, 9:16pm

Thanks for the replies guys, a great help =]

@KFrohman
You say you can use this for wire:

Could you change it for any addon? Eg:

@slayer3032

Such as all the “shared.lua” files from SWEPS and Entities?

slayer3032-legacy · December 10, 2009, 10:51pm

shared.lua is always included and addcsluafile’d in any entity.

Bounty_Bam-legacy · December 26, 2020, 10:21pm

The problem I keep having is, when joining all the files download as they should, but things are still ERRORs, such as the player models.

Here’s a screenshot of my “downloadurl”.

(ignore “build-addons” thats got nothing to do with it and needs deleting)

And my “server.cfg”

slayer3032-legacy · December 11, 2009, 12:41am

Addons are an emulated Garry’s Mod folder, you can’t resource.AddFile() them otherwise it literally downloads it as an addon without a info.txt.

You don’t need any of the .ztmp files as they are just a compressed version of a file used for the regular download system in source.

The gamemodes folder is 100% useless as clients do not download .lua files.

Your map has capitals in it. (Clients tend to not download maps with capitals)

I don’t see any player models in your models folder, how do you expect them to download them?

http://193.47.83.170/BAMB/garrysmod/models/

Read my explanation of what addons do on the wiki.

Bounty_Bam-legacy · January 1, 2021, 6:08pm

OK =]
(I know there are more folders in “addons”, but I just wanna get one thing working forst so I can copy the process for the other folders).

I have moved all models from:

addons/[BS] Player Models

to:

garrysmod/models

and materials to:

garrysmod/materials

Now I get this:

There is no model, however its no longer an ERROR so I guess I’m making some sort of progress here =]

KFrohman-legacy · December 11, 2009, 7:18am

Bam, yes you can change it for any addon.
To answer the most recent issue, you have kept the “[BS] Player Models” in the ADDONS folder on the GAME server, yes? If it’s an addon to be uploaded, goes in addons on the GAME server, and once that’s uploaded, go into the addon itself (the zip archive) and copy the materials/models/sounds folders to the WEB server at www.urlhere.com/garrysmod

I think I may need to tweak my guide a bit so it covers aboslutely fucking everything.

Teddi_Orange-legacy · December 11, 2009, 10:54pm

I think I’ll update the guide on the wiki, just to accomodate a few oddities that can occur, and just cleaning it up a bit.

Bounty_Bam-legacy · December 16, 2009, 1:20pm

Should I put in my “webserver FTP” models, materials… rather than having them in addon format? Just make everything inside the actual Garrysmod subfolder?

(and going off topic here, congrats to slayer for getting gold member)

slayer3032-legacy · December 17, 2009, 1:05am

It doesn’t matter, it’s your own personal preference.

[editline]05:05PM[/editline]

Oh also, thanks.

esorrealiap-legacy · December 21, 2009, 12:12pm

Hey all,

Just letting you know that all the servers where swapped and set up and egn 8 is now on a new server

so everyones beloved dust server is now running on its brand new server, so expect to see a performance increase

over and out.

slayer3032-legacy · December 22, 2009, 2:23am

what, who, uhh what

Teddi_Orange-legacy · December 22, 2009, 7:00am

Thats what I thought when I saw that.

brocko-legacy · December 22, 2009, 7:36am

That’s what I said to myself when I saw that.